(MONEY Magazine) – Now that some health insurance companies limit how much time your doctor spends with you and even which tests and treatments you get, who can you count on to make sure you're receiving the right care? For a growing number of patients, the answer is--themselves. These days, there's an abundance of self-help health material--books, newsletters, videos, CD-ROMs and Internet sites--offering information on topics ranging from the mundane to the technical. But which type of resource is best depends on what you're trying to find out. Here's how to match your needs to the best self-help sources:

--For advice on treating minor symptoms. A clear, comprehensive book or CD-ROM featuring video animation--such as the Mayo Clinic Ultimate Medical Guide (IVI Publishing, $40)--is best for quick, reliable advice on how to handle minor maladies and for recommendations on when it's time to see an expert. For instance, a quick scan of Self-Care (People's Medical Society, $29.95) will tell you that itchy, red eyes could be conjunctivitis but that it's okay to wait a day to see if the problem gets better while you try home remedies. Meanwhile, though, don't wear your contact lenses, or you may irritate the eyes further. People over 50 might browse through Healthwise for Life (Healthwise Inc., $9.95), which has large print and includes techniques for managing chronic conditions such as arthritis.

--For help deciding among alternative tests and treatments. When there are several ways to handle your condition, you probably hope your physician will make a recommendation. But if not, you may want to turn to one of the 10 treatment videos produced by the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision-Making, a nonprofit patient-education group formed by researchers at Dartmouth Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital ($56 each; 603-650-1180). The 20- to 60-minute videos describe research backing your therapy choices, the advantages and drawbacks of each and testimony from patients who've chosen a particular alternative. Topics include benign prostate disease, prostate cancer, breast cancer surgery, follow-up treatment for breast cancer, lower-back pain, ischemic heart disease, mild hypertension, hormone-replacement therapy, benign uterine conditions and the prostatespecific antigen (PSA) test.

A computer online chat group devoted to your medical problem is another useful way to learn from others who have your condition or have had it. Of course, you can't take the opinions of strangers as gospel. But many patients find terrific advice and support this way, says Tom Ferguson, a leading expert in online self-help who is a physician and senior associate at the Center for Clinical Computing, a Boston think tank. Ferguson's new paperback, Health Online (Addison-Wesley, $17), can steer you through the many Internet newsgroups, mailing lists and other person-to-person medical services available via computer.

--For advice about the quality of your care. Worried that you're not getting the best treatment? Topnotch experts--as well as crackpots--produce newsletters, books, magazines and Websites. Jennifer Wayne-Doppke, editor of Healthcare Guide to the Internet (COR Healthcare Resources, $68), suggests screening advice in the following three ways:

First, consider the bias of the organization or individual providing the tips. Look for the names behind the names. If there's no way to trace the information to a sponsor, be skeptical.

Second, verify all health statistics and data with the original source. If no source is cited, view the information with caution.

And third, don't assume any medical material you read is true unless you have three or more independent sources for it.

You can likely find information about common medical conditions in periodicals at your library. For unusual or complex problems, however, you may need to turn to esoteric journals or other erudite repositories. The easiest way to find them is via computer. One way to streamline such a trek is by tapping into a patient-oriented Website such as the WellnessWeb (http://www.wellweb.com), which has links or referrals to hundreds of medical sources. Another is to hire a professional medical information service, such as the Health Resource (800-949-0090, or e-mail the group at moreinfo @thehealthresource.com). For $250 ($350 for cancer questions), the well-respected team of researchers will trawl through medical databases for the latest research on your problem. Within five business days, you'll get a bound report covering both mainstream and alternative therapies.